There’s no denying that Democrats took a drubbing at the polls in 2014. Running cautious campaigns and shying away from Obamacare, Wall Street regulation, the anti-fracking movement, immigration reform and Obama himself – was not a winning strategy. While voters were tossing Democrats aside in this past election, bigger majorities of the same electorate leapt […]
Common Sense
Posted inOpinion
Citigroup becomes its own lawmaker
Congress, which has long been so tied up in a partisan knot by right-wing extremists that it has been unable to move, suddenly sprang loose at the end of the year and put on a phenomenal show of acrobatic lawmaking. In one big, bipartisan spending bill, our legislative gymnasts pulled off a breathtaking, flat-footed backflip […]
Posted inOpinion
Think of the Amazon workers
During the hectic holiday shopping season, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com may seem like a great option, especially for us procrastinators. Anything you want can be shipped directly to your doorstep. All it takes is a few clicks on the Amazon website and – of course – some of your hard-earned money. The media sings the […]
Posted inOpinion
The pain of inequality among yacht buyers
In this season of mass commercialism, let’s pause to consider the plight of simple millionaires. Why? Because we now share a common cause: Inequality. You don’t hear much about it, but millionaires are suffering a wealth gap, too, and it’s having a depressing impact on both their level of consumption and their psychological well-being. It’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Police militarization: your towns, your tax dollars
It can be tough policing the mean streets in these days of desperation, when drug cartels and other hardened criminals are out there … somewhere. But the good people of Orange County, Florida, are lucky because they’ve got the astonishing team of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Orange County Sheriffs Office […]
Posted inOpinion
Thanksgiving: from the White House to Wal-Mart
Thanksgiving – a time of grace and family sharing – will start with an extra-graceful act from the White House this year. Just as every president since Lincoln has done, Barack Obama will grant clemency to two turkeys that otherwise could’ve become the main entree for the first family’s holiday dinner. This traditional, presidential pardon […]
Posted inOpinion
Amazon threatens community vitality
It’s that time of year – Thanksgiving holiday will be here soon. And then we’ll get to celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, if we’re shopping online, odds are good that we’ll shop on Amazon.com. Maybe we should rethink that. Even by the anything-goes ethical code of the corporate jungle, Amazon.com’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, […]
Posted inOpinion
Net neutrality in the way of corporate profits
When it comes to Internet Service Providers and high-speed Internet, the consumer marketplace has hardly been a model of competitiveness. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to choose from two providers, and some of us only have access to one. These digital conduits are essential parts of America’s utility infrastructure, nearly as […]
Posted inOpinion
Election 2014: The rise of a stealth oligarchy
A stunning surprise coming out of this year’s elections is that the most dominant contenders were not glad-handing braggarts, but the least likely of participants: shy people. Indeed, these were not the candidates listed on your ballot, but shadow candidates that are not even people. They are corporations that have been empowered by the Frankenstein-majority […]
Posted inOpinion
In Big Beer we do not trust
OK, that’s it – no more Mr. Nice Guy from me when covering the avarice and arrogance of corporate power! The monopolistic grabfest has now turned personal. It’s about beer, the nourishing nectar of a civilized society. From my teen years forward, I’ve done extensive and intensive consumer research on the brewer’s art, from the […]
Posted inOpinion
Dumb and dumber: Political fearmongers
One thing you can say about Rick Perry is that he sticks to his guns. If one of his policy proposals turns out to be dumb, by golly, he will double down on dumb. For example, in his current re-run for the GOP presidential nomination, the “Oops” governor has repositioned himself as an expert on […]
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Marriott’s shameful hotel tipping scam
As an old popular song from the 1970s asks, what do you get if you “work your fingers right down to the bone?” Bony fingers. As the hardworking housekeepers for the sprawling Marriott chain of hotels know, that’s more than a cute song lyric; it’s the truth. Mostly women, these “room attendants,” as they’re called, […]
